Sara Danius, permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy – “He (Dylan’s) ‘s a great poet in the English-speaking tradition and he’s a wonderful sampler. A very original sampler. He embodies the tradition and for 54 years now he’s been at it, reinventing himself constantly, creating a new identity”

“..if you look far back you discover Homer and Sappho. They wrote poetic texts that were meant to be listened to, performed, often together with instruments and it’s the same way with Bob Dylan. We still read Homer and Sappho and we enjoy it. Same thing wih Bob Dylan – he can be read and should be read. And he is a great poet in the grand English tradition.”